Paul Connaughton
Encyclopedia
Paul Connaughton, Snr is a former Irish
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

 Fine Gael
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...

 politician. He served as a Teachta Dála
Teachta Dála
A Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...

 (TD) for the Galway East constituency from 1981 to 2011, and was a Senator
Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...

 from 1977 to 1981.

Connaughton was born in Mountbellew
Mountbellew
Mountbellew or Mountbellew Bridge is a village in County Galway, Ireland. It lies mostly within the townland of Treanrevagh on the N63 national primary road....

, County Galway
County Galway
County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...

. He was educated at St. Jarlath's Vocational School, Mountbellew, and Mountbellew Agricultural College where he did an IMI Management Course. Connaughton first became involved in politics in 1979 when he became a member of Galway County Council
Galway County Council
Galway County Council is the local authority which is responsible for County Galway in Ireland. The Council is responsible for Housing and Community, Roads and Transportation, Urban planning and Development, Amenity and Culture, and Environment. The county seat is at Galway County Hall in Galway...

. He served on that authority on two occasions between 1979 and 1985, and again from 1991 to 2003.

He was elected to Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...

 on the Agricultural Panel in 1977. Connaughton was first elected to Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...

 at the 1981 general election
Irish general election, 1981
The Irish general election of 1981 was held on 11 June 1981, three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 21 May. The newly elected 166 members of the 22nd Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 30 June when a new Taoiseach and government were appointed....

, as Teachta Dála
Teachta Dála
A Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...

 for Galway East, and was returned at every subsequent election until his retirement in 2011. Between 1982 and 1987 Fine Gael were in government and Connaughton served as Minister of State
Minister of State (Ireland)
A Minister of State in Ireland is of non-Cabinet rank, attached to one or more Departments of State of the Government of Ireland....

 at the Department of Agriculture with special responsibility for Land Structure and Development. He was Fine Gael spokesperson on Energy and Western Development and Chairman of the Political Affairs Committee between 1993 and 1997.

Between 1997 and 2000 he was spokesman on Agriculture and Food. He was Fine Gael front bench spokesperson on Marine, Natural Resources and Energy from June 2000 to February 2001. In Enda Kenny
Enda Kenny
Enda Kenny is an Irish Fine Gael politician, and has been the Taoiseach since 2011. He has led Fine Gael since 2002. He served as Minister for Tourism and Trade from 1994 to 1997. He is also a two-term Vice President of the European People's Party.Kenny has been a Teachta Dála for Mayo since...

's Front Bench reshuffle in 2004 Connaughton received his current portfolio. He has also served as spokesman on a range of portfolios including Agriculture; Social Welfare; Regional Development and Regional Affairs; Defence and Tourism; and Older People during his political career.

His daughter Sinead Connaughton was a member of Galway County Council
Galway County Council
Galway County Council is the local authority which is responsible for County Galway in Ireland. The Council is responsible for Housing and Community, Roads and Transportation, Urban planning and Development, Amenity and Culture, and Environment. The county seat is at Galway County Hall in Galway...

 representing the Tuam
Tuam
Tuam is a town in County Galway, Ireland. The name is pronounced choo-um . It is situated west of the midlands of Ireland, and north of Galway city.-History:...

 electoral area from 2003–2009. His son Paul Connaughton, Jnr was elected to Galway County Council
Galway County Council
Galway County Council is the local authority which is responsible for County Galway in Ireland. The Council is responsible for Housing and Community, Roads and Transportation, Urban planning and Development, Amenity and Culture, and Environment. The county seat is at Galway County Hall in Galway...

 at the 2009 local elections representing the Ballinasloe electoral area.

He was party Deputy spokesperson on Foreign Affairs with special responsibility for the Irish diaspora
Irish diaspora
thumb|Night Train with Reaper by London Irish artist [[Brian Whelan]] from the book Myth of Return, 2007The Irish diaspora consists of Irish emigrants and their descendants in countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, Argentina, New Zealand, Mexico, South Africa,...

 from 2010–11.

He retired from politics at the 2011 general election. His son Paul Connaughton, Jnr
Paul Connaughton, Jnr
Paul Connaughton, Jnr is an Irish Fine Gael politician. He was elected as a Teachta Dála for the Galway East constituency at the 2011 general election. From Mountbellew, County Galway, he was previously a member of Galway County Council for the Ballinasloe electoral area from 2009–11...

was elected as a Fine Gael TD for Galway East at the 2011 general election.
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